54401 ZIP Code — Wausau, WI
Marathon County, Wisconsin
ZIP code 54401 is located in Wausau, Wisconsin, within Marathon County. It covers approximately 84.17 square miles and serves a population of 31,292 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 715.
About ZIP code 54401
The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $173,800. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 66%.
Median household income is $64,799. 38% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.
The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 15 minutes is near the national average.
Educational attainment is near the national average, with 32% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
31,292
population
84.17
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
54401 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 54401
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 54401. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
| City | Status |
|---|---|
| Wausau | Acceptable |
| Wausau | Preferred |
Nearby ZIP codes
54448 Marathon (5.6 mi)
54474 Rothschild (6.9 mi)
54476 Schofield (10.1 mi)
54403 Wausau (11.1 mi)
54455 Mosinee (13.3 mi)
54471 Ringle (14.2 mi)
54411 Athens (14.4 mi)
54426 Edgar (16 mi)
54452 Merrill (18.9 mi)
54440 Hatley (19.1 mi)
Demographics
updated 05/2026
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 31,292 |
| Population density | 372 / sq mi |
| State FIPS | 55 |
| County FIPS | 073 |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 84.17 sq mi |
| Water area | 1.96 sq mi |
| Latitude | 44.9569 |
| Longitude | -89.7140 |
| Timezone | Central (CT) |
| Area code | 715 |
Total population by age
Gender
Race & ethnicity
Economics
updated 05/2026
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 46.6% | 39.2% | 39.4% |
| $50k – $100k | 33.4% | 36.4% | 33.0% |
| $100k – $200k | 15.0% | 20.1% | 22.4% |
| Over $200k | 5.0% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
Demographics & statistics
31,292
Population
372
People per sq mi
40.2
Median age
$64,799
Median household income
$37,043
Per capita income
$173,800
Median home value
$920
Median monthly rent
65.7%
Home ownership
11.1%
Poverty rate
3.2%
Unemployment
9,623
Housing units
32.1%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
981
Under 5
956
1,037
5–9
1,010
928
10–14
904
1,066
15–19
1,039
858
20–24
836
1,975
25–34
1,925
2,037
35–44
1,985
1,670
45–54
1,627
933
55–59
910
1,238
60–64
1,207
1,882
65–74
1,834
820
75–84
799
423
85+
412
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 7,180 | 22.9% |
| 18 and over | 24,112 | 77.1% |
| 65 and over | 6,170 | 19.7% |
| Median age | 40.2 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
80.2%
Asian
10.4%
Two or more races
3.6%
Hispanic or Latino
2.6%
Other race
2.4%
Black or African American
0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 25,751 | 80.2% |
| Asian | 3,351 | 10.4% |
| Two or more races | 1,149 | 3.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 825 | 2.6% |
| Other race | 775 | 2.4% |
| Black or African American | 164 | 0.5% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 79 | 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander | 23 | 0.1% |
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 46.6% | 39.2% | 39.4% |
| $50k – $100k | 33.4% | 36.4% | 33.0% |
| $100k – $200k | 15.0% | 20.1% | 22.4% |
| Over $200k | 5.0% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
Under $10k
4.6%
$10k–$15k
4.6%
$15k–$25k
5.0%
$25k–$35k
9.5%
$35k–$50k
14.1%
$50k–$75k
18.8%
$75k–$100k
15.9%
$100k–$150k
15.3%
$150k–$200k
6.0%
$200k+
6.2%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 4.6% |
| $10k–$15k | 4.6% |
| $15k–$25k | 5.0% |
| $25k–$35k | 9.5% |
| $35k–$50k | 14.1% |
| $50k–$75k | 18.8% |
| $75k–$100k | 15.9% |
| $100k–$150k | 15.3% |
| $150k–$200k | 6.0% |
| $200k+ | 6.2% |
| Median income | $64,799 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
1.6%
$50k–$100k
15.3%
$100k–$150k
23.7%
$150k–$200k
17.0%
$200k–$300k
25.0%
$300k–$500k
11.9%
$500k–$1M
5.2%
$1M+
0.3%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $173,800 |
| Median rent / month | $920 |
| Owner occupied | 65.7% |
| Renter occupied | 34.3% |
| Vacant | 7.0% |
| Single-family detached | 70.1% |
| Large apartment buildings | 7.1% |
| Mobile homes | 0.2% |
| Median rooms | 5.6 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 2.51 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.4% |
| 2010–2019 | 4.4% |
| 2000–2009 | 9.0% |
| 1990–1999 | 14.0% |
| 1980–1989 | 11.8% |
| 1970–1979 | 15.9% |
| 1960–1969 | 9.8% |
| 1950–1959 | 14.5% |
| 1940–1949 | 5.9% |
| 1939 or earlier | 14.3% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 2.3% |
| 1 bedroom | 8.8% |
| 2 bedrooms | 29.6% |
| 3 bedrooms | 37.1% |
| 4 bedrooms | 17.9% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 4.3% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 4.7% |
| 1 vehicle | 33.9% |
| 2 vehicles | 41.4% |
| 3 or more | 19.9% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 68.8% |
| Electricity | 19.4% |
| Propane / LP gas | 3.9% |
| Fuel oil | 3.7% |
| Wood | 1.4% |
| Solar | 0.2% |
| No fuel used | 0.5% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 6,355 | 48.4% |
| Cohabiting couple | 1,138 | 8.7% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 2,459 | 18.7% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 3,181 | 24.2% |
| Households with children under 18 | 3,481 | 26.5% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 4,467 | 34.0% |
| Average household size | 2.36 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 34.6% | 27.4% |
| Married | 51.0% | 51.6% |
| Separated | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| Widowed | 3.1% | 8.9% |
| Divorced | 10.9% | 11.3% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
4.2%
Some HS, no diploma
5.0%
HS graduate
28.6%
Some college, no degree
17.7%
Associate's degree
12.4%
Bachelor's degree
20.8%
Graduate / professional
11.4%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 90.8% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 32.1% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 552 | 7.9% |
| Kindergarten | 365 | 5.2% |
| Elementary school | 3,256 | 46.7% |
| High school | 1,495 | 21.4% |
| College / grad school | 1,305 | 18.7% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
24.9%
Manufacturing
21.3%
Retail trade
12.8%
Finance & real estate
8.1%
Arts, food & hospitality
8.1%
Professional & management
6.4%
Transportation & utilities
4.3%
Construction
3.7%
Wholesale trade
3.5%
Other services
3.3%
Public administration
2.1%
Agriculture & mining
0.8%
Information
0.7%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 37.9% |
| Service | 15.4% |
| Sales & office | 20.7% |
| Natural resources & construction | 5.7% |
| Production & transportation | 20.3% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 84.4% |
| Government | 10.9% |
| Self-employed | 4.6% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.0% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 76.9% |
| Carpool | 9.6% |
| Public transit | 0.4% |
| Walk | 1.2% |
| Work from home | 10.1% |
| Other means | 1.9% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 15.1 |
Poverty
All people
11.1%
Under 18 years
14.0%
18 and over
10.3%
Married-couple families
1.8%
Female-led households
17.6%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 37.5% |
| Retirement income | 28.9% |
| Supplemental Security | 5.6% |
| Cash public assistance | 1.2% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 11.4% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| Obesity | 33.5% |
| High blood pressure | 29.8% |
| High cholesterol | 33.3% |
| Diabetes | 9.5% |
| Heart disease | 6.1% |
| Stroke | 2.9% |
| Asthma | 9.4% |
| Arthritis | 23.9% |
| Kidney disease | 2.7% |
| Pulmonary disease | 6.0% |
| Cancer | 6.9% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Smoking | 17.1% |
| Binge drinking | 24.2% |
| No physical activity | 21.4% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 31.7% |
| Depression | 18.4% |
| Fair or poor health | 12.3% |
| Poor mental health | 13.1% |
| Poor physical health | 9.6% |
| No health insurance | 10.5% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 73.6% |
| Visited dentist | 68.5% |
| Cholesterol screening | 85.9% |
| Teeth loss | 12.0% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 1,921 | 8.0% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 13.9% |
| Under 18 | 3.4% |
| 18–64 years | 11.4% |
| 65 and over | 33.8% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 71.7% |
| Public insurance | 36.9% |
| No insurance | 5.9% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 2.3% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 29,355 | 93.8% |
| Spanish | 1,891 | 6.4% |
| Other Indo-European | 575 | 2.0% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 90 | 0.3% |
| Other languages | 1,214 | 4.1% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 29,074 | 92.9% |
| Born in same state | 28,985 | 92.6% |
| Born in different state | 23,384 | 74.7% |
| Foreign born | 89 | 0.3% |
| Naturalized citizen | 2,218 | 7.1% |
| Not a US citizen | 1,155 | 52.1% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Italian | 2,368 | 7.6% |
| French | 1,605 | 5.1% |
| Polish | 1,259 | 4% |
| English | 502 | 1.6% |
| Arab | 474 | 1.5% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch | 206 | 0.7% |
| German | 158 | 0.5% |
| Irish | 50 | 0.2% |
| Norwegian | 5 | 0% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 42.0% |
| Internet access | 94.4% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 54401
What city is ZIP code 54401 in?
ZIP code 54401 is primarily assigned to Wausau, Wisconsin.
What county is ZIP code 54401 in?
ZIP code 54401 falls within Marathon County, Wisconsin.
Does ZIP code 54401 have a large retiree population?
38% of households in ZIP code 54401 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 54401?
The median home value in ZIP code 54401 is $173,800.
What is the population of ZIP code 54401?
ZIP code 54401 has an estimated population of 31,292 residents, with a density of 372 people per square mile.
What is the median household income in ZIP code 54401?
The median household income in ZIP code 54401 is $64,799, below the national median of ~$75,000.
What timezone is ZIP code 54401 in?
ZIP code 54401 observes the CST timezone.